Twice Upon a Time
by Upsgirl88
Summary: Carol is a Princess and Daryl is a bandit who has been captured and imprisoned at the Castle. This is a very AU Caryl fairytale with good and evil, magic, tragedy, true love and an OUAT-like twist that brings the characters to present time in the second half.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:**__ I am not sure what happened here and I don't even know if people are going to want to read this. All I know is that this idea started brewing this morning and I just couldn't let it go until I wrote the first chapter and put it out there to see what people think. I considered doing this as a Once Upon a Time crossover, but I wanted it to be about Caryl and only Caryl. So I will be using plot elements from OUAT, but only TWD characters in a very AU setting. Please let me know what you think and if you're interested in reading more. It's pretty much all there in my mind already, but it might be too weird for Caryl, even as an AU. I just don't know! _

When Carol emerged from the King's chambers she knew immediately that something big was going down. Sir Rick, the leader of the Knight's guard had summoned her and she entered the room to find several knights in armour talking excitedly. Sir Rick smiled and bowed when she entered. "Princess," he said formally.

Carol nodded. "What's happened?" she asked, wanting to be filled in immediately.

"We caught one of them," Rick said proudly, followed by a chorus of cheers. "I think he might be the leader of the bandits. Had 5 small sacks of gold on him. Stole them from a noble family north of the Castle."

"Oh," Carol replied in surprise. The group of bandits had been evading the Knight's Guard for months, making them look rather foolish on more than a single occasion. Carol actually laughed at one of the stories. It seems their leader was quite the archer and had pinned one of the Knight's to a tree with two arrows through his cape. The knight swore it was a lucky miss and he should have been dead, but other witnesses say the archer had not missed, only did exactly what he set out to do.

Stories of the rebel group had spread across the kingdom. They were feared by the nobles, loved by the peasants and a huge thorn in the side of the Royal Family and Knight's guard. Their mission was simple: steal from the rich and give to the poor. They had never harmed or killed anyone. Carol couldn't admit it, but she secretly hoped the group would never be caught, even though she knew it was inevitable. Many of the nobles had more money than they knew what to do with. And she'd been to the far reaches of the Kingdom and seen the poverty many of the peasants lived in. As long as no one was getting hurt, she really didn't see the harm.

Of course her father saw it quite differently. He believed the rich worked for their pennies and deserved to keep them. And there was also the political aspect – the Nobles kept the Kingdom rich. They funded the churches and paid taxes to the King. The more land they owned, the more profit they made, the more money they handed over to the King's treasury. In return the King kept them safe. Which meant he had to stop the bandits.

But her father was quite ill. The King took sick a few days earlier and wasn't doing well. He slept most of the time and barely spoke when he was awake. The doctors were being optimistic and Carol tried her best to trust them. But in several years of ill health she had never seen her father look so terrible.

"He needs to be questioned… tortured if he won't talk," one of the Knights piped up.

"Silence," Sir Rick said loudly. "We don't do a thing until we hear from His Majesty." He looked at Carol, "Has his condition changed?" She shook her head. "Ay, then the prisoner stays locked up until the King is feeling better." There were a few grumbles, but one look from Rick quieted them all.

The room emptied, leaving Carol alone with Rick. "You're not really going to torture that man are you?" she asked.

He shrugged, "If your father wants him tortured that's what we do." Carol felt sick to her stomach. As much as she loved her father he was short on compassion, particularly for this group of bandits.

Carol spent the rest of the day at her Father's bedside, worrying about his condition and thinking about the prisoner. Eventually her curiosity got the better of her. She had to meet the brave stranger being held captive in the dungeon of the castle. After supper Carol threw on a hooded cape over her dress and snuck down to the cold, dark lower level.

As she suspected there was only one guard on duty. The bandit was the only prisoner they had and he was locked in a cell. "Leave us," she said, politely but sternly to the guard. "And tell no one I was here, understood?"

The older man nodded, "please stay back from the bars. If he harms you… your father will have my head." He left through the heavy wooden door, closing it behind him to wait in the hall.

Carol walked over to the cell and peeked in. The man was sitting in the corner, in the shadows, an untouched plate of food on the floor to his left. "Hi," she spoke, pulling her cape tight around her for warmth.

"Unless you're here to let me go, I ain't talking," the man grumbled.

"Well I'm afraid I can't let you go, but I really would like it if you would talk to me," Carol said, wrapping her hands around the bars in front of her and peering at him, trying to see what he looked like through the shadows.

"I ain't telling you nothing. I won't give up my men. I won't tell you where they are or where they're going. I will die before I betray them," he said in a voice that made Carol's knees weak. She could tell in only a few sentences that he was a man of honour. Well, as honorable as a thief could be.

"So you are the leader," Carol confirmed with a smile.

"And you're likely smarter than you look," he muttered, getting to his feet. "Listen," he said, walking towards her, into the light. "There's only two ways this can end - they let me go or they kill me."

"Oh," Carol gasped when she saw his face. He was younger than she was expecting, likely about the same age as her or a few years younger. And he was handsome, incredibly handsome. Her heart started to hammer in her chest. Carol knew she should back away from the bars, stay out of his reach like the guard said, but she couldn't move. Perhaps he was dangerous, but she wasn't scared of him. Nothing about his approach suggested he would hurt her.

"What?" he asked.

"Uh… nothing…" Carol stammered. "You just don't look like what I expected."

The man laughed. "What were you expecting? Nicer clothes? An ogre? Or someone better looking perhaps?"

Carol was stunned. Was he serious? Was there any man in the kingdom better looking? Sure, he needed a good bath and clean clothes, but everything else was perfect. "I'm not sure," Carol smiled. "I've never met a legendary thief before."

"Hmph," he grunted, sticking out his hand. "Well now you have. Daryl. Pleased to meet you." Carol hesitated, but only for a second before placing her hand in his through the bars. He lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them, like any gentleman would. "You gonna tell me who you are?"

"Oh, yes. Carol," she replied, flipping her hood back so he could see her better.

"Oh," Daryl gasped. This time it was his turn to be surprised. "And to what do I owe this honor, Princess?"

"Call it… curiosity," Carol said with an easy grin. She was actually shocked he knew who she was. Even though she tried to meet her people the kingdom was huge and most peasants had never seen any members of the royal family. "How did you know who I am?"

"You visited my village many years ago," Daryl said softly. "A man never forgets eyes like yours." Was he blushing? Carol wondered. She was sure his cheeks turned pink right after the compliment.

She was just about to ask him another question when the door burst open and 3 ladies came running through. "Carol, Carol, we've been looking everywhere for you," Lori spoke, breathless. Lori, Andrea and Jacqui were her Ladies in waiting, and her best friends. "This was the last place we had left to check. I told you she would be here," Lori said to the other two. Lori knew Carol very well and it obviously wasn't a huge surprise to her that Carol would be curious about the prisoner. "He's here," Lori added gravely.

"He? Who's he?" Carol asked in confusion.

"Ed. Prince Edward I mean. He's here and he's looking for you," Andrea replied.

"What? Why would he be here?" Carol felt bile rising in her through. She was betrothed to Prince Edward, but there was no way she ever planned on marrying him. The wedding was slated for the spring, but she fully intended on talking her father out of it before it ever happened. Ed was evil. He was cruel and jealous and Carol suspected he could easily become abusive once the power swayed in his direction.

Jacqui had tears in her eyes. "The wedding… you don't know?" Carol stared back, dumbfounded. "Your dad… he pushed the wedding up. It's in a fortnight."

Carol felt like she'd just been punched in the gut. She took a deep breath to compose herself. "Go, before you get caught down here. I'll be up in a few minutes. Distract him until I can get back to my chambers. Tell him I'm changing and I'll be out to meet him soon." Carol spoke quickly and sent them off.

"Wedding?" Daryl said, giving her a curious look once they were alone again.

"There won't be a wedding if I can help it," Carol muttered, deep in thought.

Daryl snickered. "I highly doubt a mere princess has a say in such matters."

Carol shot him a look. "I'll figure something out," she grumbled, which only increased the look of amusement on his face.

"I pray I live to see this," Daryl retorted.

Carol had to go before she was caught. "Here," she offered, taking several pastries from dinner out of her pocket and pressing them into his hands. "These will taste much better than whatever is on that plate," she said, wrinkling her nose. "This conversation isn't finished," she added, flipping up her hood and heading for the door. "I will be back."

"I look forward to it Your Highness," he replied with a formal bow. When Daryl stood he was grinning at her and Carol knew that smile would be burned in her brain until the moment she finally saw it again.


	2. Chapter 2

It only took one meeting with Prince Edward and an argument with her father for Carol to make the biggest decision of her life. Ed hadn't changed. Not that she expected he would have, but if anything he'd actually got worse. His eyes were filled with greed lust and a hunger for the power he knew was within his grasp. A mere two weeks and he would marry the only daughter of a King who was likely dying. Carol knew all Ed wanted was to be on that throne. Carol would be the Queen of course, but the level of esteem, wealth and power that came with being married to her would make Ed the second most important person in the entire Kingdom.

The argument with her father was terrible. She felt like a horrible person for arguing with a man that was so sick, but she had to make him see that Ed was not the right person for her to marry. What it finally came down to was a simple heartfelt statement from her father that effectively ended the conversation, "Carol, I've let you go 20 years beyond a suitable age to marry. You're smart and you're beautiful, but no other Royal Family will allow their son to marry a woman of your age. They worry you won't be able to provide an heir… Baby Girl, I'm dying. I don't know how long I have left. I need a King beside you to rule when I'm gone. The Kingdom needs that security. Prince Edward comes from a well-respected family. Please don't argue with me anymore. I'm sick and I'm tired."

At that point Carol bowed her head and kissed her father on the cheek, leaving the room with tears streaming down her cheeks. She gave herself exactly one hour alone in her room to just let it all out. A single hour of wallowing in self-pity and she got up, composed herself, fixed her hair and makeup, straightened her dress and started to formulate a plan.

Carol figured it would take her 4 full days to get everything set in place. On the 5th night she would leave. She decided it was best to stay away from Daryl for a couple of days. She was dying to talk to him again – to see him again. If she didn't have so much planning to do in secrecy, thoughts of him would likely have consumed her. Carol worried the guard might mention her visits if she went every night, so the 3rd night she waited until most people would be sleeping, put on her hooded cape and snuck down to the dungeon.

The same guard was on duty and he gave her a curious look, but nodded and moved into the hall like he had the time before. It was silent and Carol worried Daryl might be sleeping. She jumped when she heard his words in the darkness, "Thought maybe you forgot about me Princess."

"Carol is fine," she said, taking a breath.

"Hmm. No. I much prefer Princess," he said, emerging from the shadows. "Suits you."

Carol pulled back the hood, "And what should I call you? Thief? Bandit? Scoundrel?"

Daryl chuckled from low in his throat, "Hero? Saviour? But really, Daryl will do just fine."

"Why do you do it?" Carol burst out. "I mean, I get the concept, but why risk your life? Why risk ending up here?"

Daryl leaned on the bars. "You wouldn't understand."

Carol glared at him, "Try me."

"You're sheltered. You don't see the people struggling to survive," Daryl said passionately. "You don't know Hershel, a farmer in my old village, who lost his wife and is trying to raise his girls Maggie and Beth. It was a bad crop and he lost 2 of his 3 cows. He barely has anything to take to market on the fortnight. Just a few coins from one of those sacks your men took from me would have kept them fed for months. Or bought them two new cows to milk and make cream or cheese to sell." Daryl paused, "Do you really think the families I stole them from would even miss the money?"

Carol shook her head, "Probably not." Daryl looked surprised that she agreed so easily.

He looked away and spoke softer, "I do it because I've been where they've been. And no one should have to live like that."

"I admire that," Carol replied, immediately knowing she should never have admitted it to him, or anyone. "I, uh, I mean, I admire the way you want to take care of people… your methods are a different matter," she stammered, trying to do some quick damage control. It was already too late, Daryl saw right through her.

"You're far more interesting than I would ever give any rich person credit for, Princess," Daryl said, with a look of amusement.

"I think you're being far too presumptuous where I'm concerned," Carol said, crossing her arms. "You don't know me."

"You keep telling yourself that," he huffed playfully in response. The flirtatious interaction was making her feel some very strange emotions. The encounter with Daryl, combined with all her planning and the fear of the unknown was extremely overwhelming.

Carol left him with biscuits again, which he truly seemed thankful for, and headed to get some rest and find her inner strength to make it through the next couple of days. Prince Edward was an unfortunate thorn in her side for most of the next day, which made her planning difficult. Luckily Carol already had most things in place as she was stuck attending to the Prince from breakfast, right through dinner before she was finally saved by some young noble men who were going on a night hunt that Ed couldn't resist being a part of.

"Maybe he'll get gored to death by a boar," Carol muttered softly, glaring into his back, then waving with a sweet smile when he turned for one last parting glance. She had played the dutiful fiancé since Ed arrived, but after spending so much time with the pessimistic, rude, over bearing ass, she knew her decision was the right one.

It wasn't just her own self she was protecting by not going through with the wedding. Carol truly believed she was doing what was best for the entire Kingdom. That belief was the only thing that gave her the courage to step into her father's room for one final goodbye the next afternoon. She was thankful he was sleeping because if he was awake Carol knew she would have broken down completely. Neither one of them had any living family left, other than Carol's cousin who would be the only one left in line for the throne when Carol disappeared - if her father passed. Carol's best hopes were that he would recover, find out she was missing and realize it was a mistake to force her to marry Prince Edward and Carol could come home. She had no idea how she would find out such information wherever she ended up, but she had faith and that's all that mattered. Deep inside Carol believed she was doing the right thing and in the end it would all work out for the best.

Carol slipped out of her father's room with tears in her eyes, glancing back one last time with an ache in her heart. He wasn't dead yet, but for some reason it felt like the last time she would see him and Carol hated the feeling. She asked Lori to find Prince Edward, let him know she was ill and was going to bed, and offer her sincere apologies.

Her 3 friends came to her room and they spent her final hours at the castle talking, crying and laughing. Carol had told them all what her plan was and they had each been involved in helping somehow. Carol was hesitant at first to involve them, particularly because Lori was married to Sir Rick, the person who would likely be leading the search once people found out Carol was missing. But she had prepared a note resolving all three women of any guilt, saying they were ordered to comply with her wishes. Carol knew the women would have helped her escape Ed whether they could end up in a lot of trouble or not, but Carol couldn't have that on her conscience.

"You should go," Carol said to Lori. "Rick will wonder why you're out so late. And honestly, it's best if the leader of the guard is very, uh, distracted in case things get crazy. Even an extra few minutes could make a huge difference."

The women shared a smile and one last hug. "I'll do my best," Lori said, looking both happy and devastated all at the same time. "I love you. We will see each other again, I'm sure of it."

Carol wiped a tear off her friend's cheek. "I love you too, all of you," she said, pulling them into a big group hug. "Thank you for everything you've done. Not just this, but all the years we've shared. You're the best friends a girl could ever ask for."

As Carol shut the door behind them she felt the same sense she had when she left her father, and it threw her. Carol believed Lori. She truly did feel in her gut like they would see each other again, yet the strange sense of the goodbye being final was something she couldn't shake.

Carol did have one more goodbye. She gathered her things, put on her cape and headed down to the dungeon. The guard seemed to expect her. Carol smiled gratefully at him. So far he hadn't betrayed her trust. "I brought you something special from the kitchen, for everything you've done," Carol said to him passing over a delicate, fluffy, iced cupcake. "They didn't make many of these, but I was able to sneak one from dinner, just for you." Carol knew the guards and other servants of the throne didn't eat the same delicacies that she did. He would sincerely appreciate the sweet treat.

His eyes lit up, "Thank you Princess, this is most gracious." The guard took his first bite before he left for the hallway and Carol was pleased.

"Where's my cupcake?" Daryl asked, wandering forward as the door shut behind the guard.

"Oh trust me, you don't want one of those," Carol replied, holding up a finger to silence him while they listened. All of a sudden there was a thump from out in the hall and Carol ran out to find the guard passed out on the floor. "I'm so sorry," she said, rolling him onto his back and taking the keys off his belt. "Thank you for everything, and Goodbye," she said to his lifeless form. Carol slipped back inside.

Daryl was looking at her, curiously amused. "He dead? You do that?"

"He's not dead," Carol rolled her eyes at the notion she would kill an innocent guard. "He's just sleeping. But it won't be for long, so let's go." She fiddled with the key in the lock until it popped open, but she held the door closed.

"What's going on?" Daryl wondered. He didn't seem to be making a move to push through her, simply waiting for her direction.

"What's it look like?" Carol asked. "I'm letting you go." She pulled open the door.

"Why?" Daryl asked, stepping outside.

"Because you're taking me with you," Carol replied. "Come on," she said, leading the way. "Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

Does she actually think I'm going to harbour the King's only daughter? Daryl wondered as he chased after Carol. Or was she going to part ways with him as soon as they got away from the castle? It wasn't really clear what she was planning, but it didn't matter. This feisty and intriguing woman was helping him escape so he would deal with whatever consequences were bestowed upon him when the time came. If she intended on staying with him he would have to find her somewhere else to go – somewhere they would never find her. There was simply no way he could have her hanging around. They were already in enough danger from their actions without adding a runaway Princess to the mix.

She was quick, even in her long dress and heavy hooded cloak, but Daryl was fast too and he kept up easily, following her through a maze of dim hallways. When they finally came to a door Carol stopped and motioned for him to stay quiet as she peeked out. She motioned for him to follow and sprinted out the door, across a courtyard lit only by the bright moon, and straight into the stables.

Daryl realized the Princess had people helping in the escape when he saw two horses saddled and waiting for them. He was surprised because if anyone was caught helping her get away they would lose their head. If he was surprised before, he almost fell over in shock when he realized who was helping. Sir Rick stepped out of the shadows and Daryl immediately reached for his weapon – which of course wasn't there.

"You looking for this?" Rick asked, holding up his crossbow. Daryl froze, unsure of what exactly was about to happen. Maybe Rick wasn't helping Carol at all, maybe it was a set up. But a quick glance over at her eased his mind. She was calm, relaxed and looked as if everything was going to plan. "I have a few words for you first," Rick said sternly, stepping closer in a way that might have been intimidating for some, but didn't scare Daryl in the least. "You take care of her. I'm trusting you to do what I've been doing for many years now – keeping the Princess safe." Rick had his free hand on the butt of his sword, likely more out of habit than anything. "I'm helping her escape - not you. And I swear in the name of the Lord, if anything happens to her I will hunt you down again, but I assure you that you will not make it to that jail cell."

Daryl nodded and his weapon was placed in his hands. Well fuck, he thought. So much for ditching her somewhere safe… I guess my crew of bandits just inherited a princess. He watched as Carol gave Rick a hug. "No matter what, don't tell her, okay? No matter how sad she is… Lori can't know that you helped me escape. It will just put her in danger if the truth comes out."

"Be safe," Rick said, hugging her again, but looking right at Daryl as he said it. He wasn't telling Daryl to be safe, he was reminding him again that the Princess' safety was in his hands. Rick boosted Carol up into the saddle and Daryl realized it was his cue to mount the other horse.

Carol led them out of the stable and stopped in the shadows near a gate. Daryl watched as the gate opened to let in a merchant. He thought it was strange to have a delivery in the middle of the night, but quickly realized it was all part of her plan. As soon as the merchant was through the gate with his horse and cart Carol nodded at the guard and led Daryl out. As soon as they were outside she kicked the horse into a full run and flew towards the forest. Daryl struggled to keep up, realizing the Princess was most definitely a good horseman… uh, horsewoman.

Her hood had blown back from the speed and Daryl could see her long curls flying. The second they were safe in the woods Carol slowed and jumped down off her horse, grabbing the reins to walk him. Daryl followed suit. "We'll give em a rest for a few minutes and then you can lead the way from here," Carol said.

"Oh… okay," he replied. Daryl knew he should have expected to take over at some point, but it still came as a surprise that she was giving him control so soon. They walked in silence for a minute before Daryl spoke. "How many people back there knew? How many were helping?"

"Uh, a few…" Carol said. He knew from the tone of her voice that if he could see her face she was smiling. "A couple of guards, Rick, and my ladies…including Rick's wife Lori."

Daryl was confused, "But you just told him not to say anything to her?"

"Yeah. I don't want either of them to know that the other was helping me," Carol explained. "That way, if one of them get caught and, God Forbid, tortured, they won't know the other helped so they won't be able to tell anyone, even on the rack."

"Hmm," Daryl said, grinning.

"What is with the 'Hmm' again," Carol asked.

"I still say you're smarter than you look," Daryl teased her.

"I'm not sure if I should be taking offence to that statement," Carol questioned him. "I mean, do I really look like an idiot or something? Or is it your weird bandit way of flirting with me?"

"Ha," Daryl snorted. Did she really think he was dumb enough to flirt with a princess? Guys like him didn't end up with princesses, so what was the point? "You don't look like an idiot," Daryl said seriously. "You look like a princess. A beautiful princess…"

"There, that one - that was definitely a flirt," Carol laughed.

Daryl could feel his face burning. He really would have to choose his words more carefully. "Princesses aren't usually known for being… uh… cunning."

"Ohhh, good recovery," Carol joked. She stopped her horse and turned to look at him. He could just make out her face. "I'll only say this once… Don't underestimate me." With that, she jumped back onto her horse without any help at all and sat in the saddle waiting for him.

Daryl had a smile on his face as he mounted. "It's gonna be a bit of a ride and we have a couple of towns to go through. If we go around it will take even longer…" Carol nodded and they started on their way. "Are you tired?" he asked after a few minutes of silence. "We're almost to the other side of the forest, so if you want to sleep, we should stop now, while we have cover."

"No, I'm fine. Let's keep going while it's dark and quiet," Carol replied. Daryl was impressed. He really was expecting her to be far more high maintenance. They kept moving in silence until Carol spoke again, "So are you excited to get back to your family? Your wife?"

"Wife?" Daryl repeated. "What makes you think I'm married?"

"Oh, well…" she was more thoughtful with her words than he was. "You're not that young…"

"Neither are you and you're not married," Daryl spat back, impulsively as usual, wishing he could take the words back as soon as they left. "Uh, sorry Princess… I didn't mean…"

Carol laughed, "Yeah I've been reminded of that a few times from my father." Daryl loved that she had a sense of humour. She was much different than he expected and the more he got to know her, the more down to earth Carol seemed. "I guess if I had been more proactive with my love life we wouldn't be in this situation now, would we?" she sighed. "Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic, but I always believed my Prince Charming would come along someday… but someday never came…" Her words hung in the air until she turned back on him again, "So you're really not married? Betrothed? Engaged?"

"I've been kinda busy lately," Daryl grumbled.

"I'm not judging you," Carol said. "Just curious."

"Why?" Yet again, it was a knee-jerk response.

Carol shrugged. Now that they were out of the forest the moon was bright enough he could see her and there was a big smile on her face, "Maybe I was flirting with you." She giggled when he blushed and kicked his horse into a gallop.

Daryl stopped on a hill overlooking a town. "We could try to go around, I suppose, but it's much quicker if we just head straight through."

"I've been here before," Carol said. "A few times. There's a woman who makes the most beautiful hair pieces."

"Okay," Daryl nodded. "Best if we go around then."

"No," Carol replied, jumping off her horse. Daryl watched curiously as she unsheathed the small dagger at her hip. "This should do the trick," she said, gathering her hair together and quickly hacking through it with the dagger. He was too shocked to even speak as Carol dropped a huge handful of thick curls to the ground. Daryl was still dumbfounded as he watched her continue to hack away at her hair until it was cropped to a mass of short, wild curls. It was quite a drastic change from the flowing locks she'd had only seconds before. It didn't change her beauty at all. If anything, she looked even more gorgeous without the long mane of hair to distract from her piercing blue eyes, high cheekbones, and perfectly sculpted jaw line.

Okay, Daryl thought, so the princess now has short hair – might help. He glanced at her beautiful face once again. Yep, the haircut could help if it was some other woman. But not Carol - not with those damn stunning eyes. Daryl sighed as a realization hit him… we're so fucked.


	4. Chapter 4

Daryl was actually kind of disappointed when Carol put her hood up, though he knew it was absolutely necessary. He was still getting used to the short hair, and the more stolen glances he took the more he liked it. The best possible thing was if they could just ride slowly through the town, not attract any attention or wake anyone up, and slip into the woods on the other side. Was that really too much to ask for? Apparently it was, Daryl realized, as midway through the tiny village a loud drunk decided he wanted to make conversation with them.

"Ahhh, what have we got under that cloak?" he drawled, stumbling along beside Carol's horse. "Come on pretty lady, just give me a little peek, huh?"

Daryl moved his horse around the other side so the man was in between them, "Sir, please, we don't want no trouble. We'll just move on through town and be on our way." He hoped and prayed that Carol kept looking straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with the man.

"I just wanna see her pretty face," the drunk insisted, grabbing at the reins on Carol's horse. "Ain't many handsome women in this town no more. Just give me a glimpse, something to brighten my dreams."

"Hey, let go," Daryl hissed. "Leave her be." Carol continued to remain calm and quiet until the man started to get agitated and yanked harder on the reins. She shot him a scared look and Daryl jumped down off his horse. He grabbed the man in a choke hold. "Go," he demanded, giving the horse a gentle nudge and starting Carol on her way. "Quick, I'll catch up." He was pleased when she understood and dug in her heels, he watched Carol fly off and disappear into the woods, then finally let the struggling man go. "Gooday Sir," he said politely, jumping back on the steed and taking off in the same direction that Carol had rode.

Daryl found her, waiting for him, not too far into the forest. "You alright?" he puffed, taking a deep breath to get some air back into his lungs.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Carol replied. "Do you really think that drunk would have recognized me?" she asked.

Daryl shrugged, "Maybe. Maybe not. But no sense in finding out, right?" He started his horse moving again and she followed, coming up beside him. He glanced over at her, "You really think you're gonna be able to do this?"

Her eyes flashed and she glared at him. "Of course I can do this," she growled. "I have to. I can't go back. And if it's too much trouble for you, we can part ways right here. I'll figure something out. I'll survive on my own."

"Stop," he said gently. He hadn't intended on getting her all worked up, but if he had of thought about it for a second before speaking he would have known she'd be fired up with his words. The one thing he'd learned in the short time he'd known the princess was that she was stubborn. But she was also brave, smart and determined. Those were qualities he only prayed to find in his best men and she had them all in spades. Daryl realized he had insulted her by being so thoughtless. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You're coming with me and staying with my group until you can go back home." Carol's eyes softened, but her face didn't. Daryl knew she was trying to be a hard ass, but was failing miserably and he grinned at her. "It's a good thing you're gonna be hangin' round a group of scoundrels because your poker face is terrible."

Carol pouted and glared at him again, "Is it really that bad?" He nodded, still smiling at her. "Well… fuck," she said, her eyes sparkling. Daryl gave her a curious look. "What? Princesses swear sometimes too. Besides, I suspect your friends will have vulgar potty mouths and I want to fit in," Carol added smugly.

Well that part was true. The men did have pretty foul mouths, many of the women too. But she didn't need to fit in and Daryl didn't want her to. Carol was special and different, and no matter what… she was still a princess who would be Queen someday. "You ain't gotta change to fit in," Daryl said softly. "I'm gonna have to tell 'em all who you are…"

"No," Carol interjected. "Please… don't tell them. I want a chance to be a part of your group," she pleaded. "If you tell them… they will just treat me like a princess, not like a friend."

Daryl sighed. His gut was telling him it was best that everyone know the truth. He trusted his men and their families to keep their mouths shut. It wouldn't go beyond the group. But there was just something in those damn eyes that made him want to keep her happy. If she didn't want the others to know… he would keep her secret. "Okay, but you better start thinkin' up a good story… including how I made a valiant escape from the clutches of the King's guard."

"Valiant," Carol snorted. "Yup, I'll come up with something good." She was quiet for a few minutes. "How about after making your grand escape you found me lost in the woods and saved me from a wolf…"

"Uh, were you on the way to Granny's house?" Daryl chuckled, thinking of a fairy tale he'd heard as a child.

"Oh right…" Carol said, catching on. "Okay, how about this… I was a servant working at the castle and I agreed to help you escape if you took me with you."

"Other than one part, that's pretty much the truth," Daryl said, skeptical about her second option. "They will ask too many questions. How did a servant get me out of a well-guarded castle? Why did you want to leave? Why are you still with me?"

"Why are you making this so difficult?" Carol asked, sighing dramatically. "Wait…" she glanced over at him, her eyes lighting up. "You said you don't have a girlfriend, right?" Daryl wondered where she was going, feeling very nervous all of a sudden. "Well, you do now," she exclaimed, flashing him a stunning smile that made his heart feel weird.

"Huh?" he muttered, looking at her with his jaw hanging open.

"Tell them we knew each other when we were younger, but my family moved away," she said excitedly. "After you escaped the castle, which I'll work on later, you ran into me in the first town you travelled through. Say we were each other's first love and rekindled that instantly."

"That'll never work," Daryl insisted. "They'd never believe it."

"Why not?" Carol asked. "It's perfect. People won't wonder why you're being so protective and keeping me close," she said, batting her eyelashes. "Come on, it has to be something pretty significant for you to risk bringing a stranger into the group."

"This is a terrible idea," Daryl grumbled, feeling very confident they were setting up for failure.

"Was that a yes?" Carol asked, smiling at him.

"Yeah, sure, but when they don't buy it…" he warned. "Then we're telling 'em the truth."

"Deal," Carol agreed easily. "Now to figure out how you escaped the castle…." Daryl was quiet while she muttered ideas and changed her mind over and over again. He was still unsure about her plan and was trying to think of something better he could change her mind with. The group would never believe he'd fallen in love that easily. And if they did buy the story that they were long lost soulmates there would be several that would want to know why he'd never mentioned her before.

Daryl shot a sideways glance at the Princess. She really was beautiful. If he was going to fake being in love with anyone he had certainly hit the jackpot. Not only was she gorgeous, she had a big heart. He was pretty confident she would fit in well with his band of vigilantes.

The second town they had to travel through was completely uneventful. They walked right through without attracting any attention whatsoever. When they were safely to the other side Daryl glanced over and saw Carol was wobbling in the saddle. She was exhausted. They needed to stop and rest.

"Hey, hold up once we're in the woods okay?" he said, coming up beside her. The sun was about ready to make its appearance, but once they moved into the trees it was dark again. They didn't have that much further to go. Had Daryl been alone he would have just pushed on through and rested when he made it home. But Carol needed to sleep, at least for a couple of hours.

Daryl hopped down off his horse and found a tree to tie the reins. He offered a hand and Carol jumped down. Without a word he tied her horse as well. "Are we there?" she asked, looking around in confusion. The ironic part was, when they did get to their destination, it wouldn't look a whole lot different than what she was seeing right then.

"No, not yet. We're gonna rest a few hours first," Daryl explained. He knew she was stubborn and was expecting a fight, but it only reinforced just how tired she was when Carol nodded and yawned. Daryl saw her shiver, even under the heavy cloak she wore. It was fairly chilly, but it was likely more to do with the exhaustion than the weather. "Get comfortable and sleep," Daryl instructed, sitting down with his back to a tree. "I'll keep watch and wake ya in a few hours to head on out again."

"You're not gonna sleep?" Carol asked, yawning again. Daryl was surprised when she sat down right beside him. He had a thing about personal space and resisted the urge to move farther away, though for some reason the desire to put distance between them was much weaker than usual. "If we're gonna be lovers you really need to quit flinching when I get close," Carol whispered in a teasing manner. Daryl felt his cheeks flush with her words and the way she spoke them as if they were true, not just a story they were making up. "Oh hey, I got the rest of the story too," Carol said, lying down on her side, facing him. "You talked a lot to the guard, made him think you were harmless, and one day when he brought your food you reached through the bars and knocked him out. Got the keys… and proved just how stealth you can be until you found yourself miles from the castle."

"Hmm," Daryl said, nodding. "That might just work. I am pretty damn stealth." He smiled at her, "Sleep Princess."

Carol yawned again. "You gotta stop calling me Princess too. In fact, I think we ought to pick a new name… I've always like Sophia…"

Daryl shook his head and found himself smiling again. "Sleep… Princess… Sophia." The little sleepy flash of a smile she gave him, just before her blue eyes closed, was burned into his mind. It was all he could think about for the next 3 hours or so, while she slept. He hated to wake her up, but Daryl was getting pretty tired himself and was looking forward to crawling into his bed when they got home. "Carol, wake up…. Carol," he said. When she didn't wake Daryl reached over and touched her arm, shaking her slightly.

"Mmm," Carol groaned, rolling and stretching. "I was having the best dream," she groaned, finally allowing her eyes to flutter open. "Oh…" she fixed her eyes on his face. "Oh, hey… you're real…" she giggled.

That one little laugh was quite possibly the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. What exactly did she mean, with the dream? With the 'you're real' part? Daryl didn't know and he wasn't even sure he wanted to know… but it really didn't matter because what he did know… was that he was already in way over his head. And this could be far more dangerous than robbing rich people.


	5. Chapter 5

"We're here," Daryl announced, sliding down off his horse. Carol looked around for houses, tents, some sort of shelter...but saw nothing. She even looked up, thinking maybe they lived in the trees, and still saw nothing. She watched as Daryl scanned in all directions, then headed for a stump on the ground. He tipped it over and a large chunk of the ground moved with it. Carol gasped in surprise as two men leapt out, weapons drawn pointing straight at them. "It's just me," Daryl said, smiling at them.

The men lowered their weapons in shock, one of them dropping their bow to the ground and reaching for Daryl. They did some weird handshake thing and Carol was sure she saw tears in the man's eyes. "Didn't think we'd ever see you again," he said, grinning and clapping Daryl on the shoulder. As the reunion died down Carol felt all three men looking at her. "You, Uh, gonna introduce us to your... Friend?"

Daryl looked at her for a second before speaking, likely trying to get his story straight. "This is my... Girl... Uh, this is Sophia," he stammered.

Carol rolled her eyes, somewhat excited to start their charade, "He hasn't changed a bit," she drawled. "I'm his girlfriend," Carol said, extending a hand to the man, whose mouth was gaping, just like the other guy standing there.

"Glenn," he said finally shaking. "This is Tyreese," he added, nodding towards the larger man who stepped forward and took her hand, placing a gentle kiss on top. Carol smiled. She wasn't expecting much chivalry from this crew.

"Pleased to meet you," she said sweetly. "I know you're confused, Daryl told me all about his capture, escape and what he's been doing these past few years. He found me on the way back here," she explained, taking a second to give Daryl a loving smile to keep up appearances. "Stayed the night in my barn but when morning came... I just couldn't lose him a second time." They still looked confused. "We knew each other many years ago until my family moved away. I never should have left him then, but I just couldn't make the same mistake twice."

"Funny, he never mentioned you," Glenn said suspiciously.

"Shut the fuck up," Daryl grumbled. "Some things just ain't worth talking about." Glenn's face changed. He still looked a bit skeptical but there seemed to be a little understanding shining through. "Take these horses in the back way and down to the stables with our own. Gonna return them to Sophia's family in a couple days."

"You don't need to," Carol blurted out, wondering what the hell he was talking about.

"I told you what we do here," Daryl replied, obviously straining to be patient and explain. "We steal from the rich and give to the poor. It's not our M.O. to be taking horses from poor farmers. I'll take em back in a couple days." His gaze was pleading with her to accept the explanation and let it go.

"Yes, I'm sure papa will be most pleased to have them back," she said with a nod. "May we also give him the saddles you stole from those knights?" she added, giving him her own smug look. There's no way the men wouldn't notice the high quality saddles and expensive leather when they unbridled the horses. "We never could afford proper equipment after spending so much to get pure bred stallions." They might also question how a poor farmer came to own such beautiful horses.

Daryl couldn't hide the hint of a smile and Carol was pleased that he recognized her intelligence and observational skills. "Of course, we have plenty of saddles here for our horses anyway." They handed over the reins to Glenn and Tyreese. "See you back inside." As they took off in the other direction Daryl led her underground, stopping to pull the earth back into place above them.

"I pictured you more for a tree house kinda guy," Carol said, whispering in the darkness.

"Oh we have stands set up all over the area. Had the men on watch not recognized me we never would've got close to the entrance," he explained. "I still like to scan the area before I enter though, just in case." It was apparent that they had begun a game of answering each other's questions before they were asked. "It's built like a standard staircase," Daryl said, finding her hand in the darkness. "10 steps to the landing, right turn, 10 more steps to the next landing, right turn and 10 to the bottom. Ready?"

"I think so," Carol replied, clutching his hand tightly and trying to feel for the first drop.

"Just relax and trust yourself," Daryl said. "Walk down the steps... You ain't gotta think about it. You'll have to count first few times, but 'fore long you'll be running down these in the dark like the rest of us." Proving once again that he could predict her question Daryl continued, "It's just an extra security thing. If someone were to get in the main door, unless they knew to bring a torch chances are they'd fall down the stairs or we'd capture em before they got too far scrambling round in the dark."

Carol walked with him and counted each step, prepared for the landing on the 10th. He was right, it was easy if you just let your body do the work and kept your brain out of it. Before long they were on the final flight and Carol could see a glow of light at the bottom. She suddenly felt nervous, and it only got worse when Daryl let go of her hand. She understood but she really wished he was still holding on.

They exited the staircase and stepped into a huge open room. Someone must have already alerted the others that they were coming because the second they emerged they were met with cheers and yelling and clapping. Carol backed away and just watched as the group flocked to Daryl. It warmed her heart to see how loved and missed he was. But it also made her think of her own family back at the castle. Her dad, Rick and Lori, Jacqui, Andrea, and all the other people she had grown up with and loved like they were blood relatives. She bit the inside of her lip to keep from crying. Not that it would matter, even with the story they made up she was leaving people behind and bound to miss them from time to time, but she just didn't want her first impression with these new people to be a woman with wild and crazy hair, and tears streaming down her face.

It was obvious that Daryl's friends knew his introduction skills as they all started to come to her on their own and make their own intros. There were so many new faces, Carol knew she was never going to remember all their names. She was quite surprised at the number of people living underground in their group of bandits. There were at least 30 of them Carol figured. There were only a few she remembered. A stunningly beautiful woman named Michonne, a couple she could tell were deeply in love - Bob and Sasha, and a large red haired man named Abraham. He didn't look like the type to take orders from anyone, but she could see there was a mutual respect between him and Daryl.

Carol yawned and Daryl saw her. He looked exhausted himself. "Sophia and I need to sleep," he explained to the group. "Come on," Daryl said to her.

Carol could hear all the snickers and jokes about what they were going to do besides sleep. It was rather amusing, but she could see Daryl's cheeks were burning as he unsuccessfully tried to ignore them. They had almost made it to a door that she assumed was his room when a voice called out from the crowd. It was Glenn, "Hey Daryl, aren't you forgetting something? Tradition? You can't break it… it's too risky."

Carol looked at Daryl first who was even redder and looked mortified, then back towards the group who all seemed to look happy and amused. "What tradition?" she whispered to him.

"You don't want to know," he muttered back. "Let's just ignore them…"

"Daryl, come on, what's the big deal? She's your long lost love, we're all family…" It was Abraham with a huge smirk.

"What are they talking about?" Carol asked again.

Daryl sighed. "It's customary to carry a woman in your arms and kiss her before you take her into your room for the first time. It's stupid. It's just some dumb old wives tail, superstition thing." He shrugged. "Let's just go in."

The world they lived in was full of strange things - spells, magic, witches, fairies… Carol had seen things she couldn't explain. There were spells and curses, good and evil, and simple coincidences. But superstition was simply not something you messed around with. "We can't," she said, placing a hand on his forearm. "I don't know what the consequences are, but I don't want to find out. Let's just do this quickly and go sleep." She spoke with her back to the crowd in a low whisper that only he could hear.

Daryl took a deep breath and shook his head in defeat. Carol could tell he didn't want to break the tradition either, but he would have, for his own pride and for her. The crowd was chanting 'kiss her' by the time Daryl swept her off her feet into his arms. This had to look real. If they were going to believe the story Carol made up they had to kiss like they really were reunited lovers, not strangers who had only known each other a few days. He pushed open the door with his foot and hesitated.

Carol felt her heart racing. This was fake, it was all an act. They weren't really a couple. So why was she so nervous? Why did it feel like she was about to kiss her Prince for the first time? Carol hadn't kissed many men. A Princess doesn't really get to court, or fall in love, or pick the man she wants to marry because she's in love. A Princess who is going to be Queen someday has to marry a man who deserves to be King. And that's why she was there in the first place, because Carol knew Prince Edward did not deserve to be King.

The chanting from the crowd faded away when she met Daryl's eye. They were still yelling, but she couldn't hear them anymore. His gaze was strong and determined, but there was something else… a tenderness that she wasn't expecting. It shocked her, but at the same time it eased some of the butterflies. When his lips met hers everything else disappeared and it felt like they were the only two people in the whole world. It could have been a quick kiss, with a little tenderness to make it appear they were in love. It didn't have to be much more. But it was.

When their lips touched Carol felt her entire body light on fire. He kissed her hesitantly at first, almost awkwardly as if it had been a long time since he'd kissed a woman. Carol didn't have much experience herself but she knew enough to do it right.

As the awkwardness passed and they both started to relax she parted her lips slightly. Daryl took the bait and dipped his tongue in her mouth. Carol was ready and met him eagerly with her own. If she was standing her knees surely would have been weak as the kiss was making her feel dizzy.

She tightened her grip around his neck and kissed him hungrily, waking up something inside herself that had been sleeping all her life. And this was just a kiss. Just a pretend kiss at that. It didn't take long for the kiss to become completely natural, as if they'd done it many times before. The new easiness didn't do a thing to tame the passion or ferocity, if anything it made matters worse… or better, depending on how you looked at it. Carol moaned as he baited her into his mouth and sucked lightly on her tongue. The sound came from somewhere deep inside her that she had no control over. Carol had no idea how long they'd been kissing - it felt like both an eternity and a split second at the same time. But she did know she didn't want it to end. Ever.

It had to eventually and finally Daryl pulled back. He swiftly carried her inside the room, kicking the door closed and shutting out the last of the hoots and hollers. "I'm so sorry about that," Daryl said, placing her gently on her feet. "I didn't mean to get.. um, carried away." Carol noticed he was blushing again. "Just wanted to make sure it looked, ya know, real enough… Gotta keep your secret safe," he mumbled. Carol got the sense he wasn't only trying to convince her, but himself as well.

"It's okay… it wasn't all bad," she said, flashing him a smile. Where the hell did that come from? Carol asked herself. They'd been teasing and flirting a bit earlier, but this surely wasn't the best time to be so shameless. "Sorry," she added, giving him an apologetic look.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Daryl spoke. "You go ahead and take the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

"Oh…" Carol replied, looking around the room and realizing there was only a small bed against the wall and nowhere else to sleep other than the floor. "It's your bed, I can sleep on the floor."

Daryl shook his head and laughed. "If your father didn't already want my head for my klepto issues, he would kill me for kissing you. And if he didn't kill me for that… he would surely end my life if I made a Princess sleep on the floor and took the only bed."

Carol really was too tired to argue so she nodded, pulled back the blanket, took off her cloak and pretty much fell into bed. As tired as she was the thoughts and feeling swirling inside her were preventing her from falling asleep instantly. She couldn't get the kiss out of her head. The way it felt, the way he tasted, the passion, and the way it all made her feel inside. If Carol knew anything about love at all… she was pretty sure she was falling for the archer. Hard.


	6. Chapter 6

A strange sound woke Daryl from a light sleep. It wasn't loud, but something different that peeked his curiosity. It wasn't often he got into a deep sleep because over the years he'd trained his body to be on high alert. When he was fully awake he realized the sound was actually extremely quiet and it surprised him he'd actually awoke considering how tired he'd been.

It was coming from the Princess, sleeping in his bed, though she clearly wasn't sleeping. She was sniffling and her body appeared to be shaking. At first Daryl thought she was sick, but a light sob made him realize she was crying.

Shit, what should I do? He wondered. Should I see if she's okay? Leave her alone and pretend I didn't hear? Daryl wasn't sure if she would be embarrassed he heard her or if she needed something from him. He closed his eyes and attempted to sleep, but another sob and his eyes were wide open again.

"Carol? Carol?" he whispered.

"You should get used to calling me Sophia," she replied, between sniffs.

"Oh, right. Sophia, are you okay?" Daryl stood and moved to the side of the bed. He sat back down on the floor. "What's wrong Princess?"

"Nothing, it's stupid," she muttered, rolling over to face him. Her cheeks looked blotchy and her eyes were puffy - she'd been crying for a while, that much was clear.

"Just tell me," Daryl urged her. "No judgement from me. Promise."

"I miss my family," Carol said softly.

"That ain't stupid," Daryl replied carefully. "Did you think you wouldn't?"

"No. Yes. Maybe? I don't know," Carol sighed. "I guess I never thought that far ahead. I was so focussed on getting away from Prince Edward… I mean, I know I may never see my father again and I thought I had accepted that fate… But the rest of my family is still alive too… Lori and my girls… even Sir Rick," she looked up. "I miss them."

"Missed my family for a while too," Daryl admitted. "Mean, I didn't really have the kind of family you did, but I still miss my brother, even now. Gets easier though. I have a new family and they mean every bit as much to me as my blood."

"Where is he?" Carol asked. "Your brother?"

Daryl snorted. "He was conceited enough to think he could face the Dark Wizard and win."

"No," Carol's eyes were wide and she sat up. "Did he have magic?"

Daryl laughed, "Merle? God no."

"Why did he even try?" Carol looked mystified. "Even those with the strongest magic who've practiced for years can't defeat the Dark Wizard."

Daryl sighed, "Merle never was very bright. Just full of himself. But he did save a lot of people by distracting the wizard long enough to let them escape."

"So he's a hero," Carol stated, smiling at him.

"Guess you could say that," Daryl nodded. "I still like to call him stupid."

"All heroes have their flaws," she said, giving him a look. Is she talking about Merle? Or me? Daryl wondered. He still had a hard time reading her sometimes. He had a hard time reading most people but for some reason Carol was easier. Still, there were times he wasn't quite sure how to interpret her words. They'd flirted, he knew that. But every once in a while he just wasn't sure if it was a flirt again, or if it was something else.

"Want to know a secret?" Daryl asked. Carol nodded enthusiastically. He noticed her mood had changed and was glad he'd decided to check on her. "That eye patch the Dark Wizard wears… that was Michonne."

"No way…" Carol was engrossed.

"Yep. It was before he come into his powers… He was always evil… But, I don't know the whole story," Daryl shrugged and gave her an apologetic look when he saw the disappointment. "She's never told anyone."

"Hmm," she said, clearly pondering what could have happened from the endless possibilities. Daryl wondered why women did that? There was likely no way to know for sure, but they always had to fantasize about all the possibilities.

There was a rap on the door and Daryl got up to answer it, while Carol snuggled herself back down into his bed. "Hey, sorry to wake you." It was Tyreese. "Got some news that I think you'll want to hear."

"It's okay, I was awake," Daryl replied. "Give me 5 minutes to change and I'll be there." As soon as the words were out of his mouth he regretted them. But he shut the door anyway and wondered how he was supposed to change with Carol in the room.

"I gotta go see what's up," Daryl explained. "But you stay, get some more sleep. I'll come back and fill you in when I can." Carol still looked exhausted and she didn't protest, simply nodded. "Uh… so I have to change my clothes…"

"Oh, yeah…" Carol rolled over and faced the wall.

Daryl changed his clothes quickly, but found himself staring at her form in the bed the entire time, which led to him thinking about kissing her earlier. It had taken him a while to get to sleep at first because he couldn't get the feel of her kiss off his mind. This wasn't the kind of woman he should be thinking about the way he was. She's a fucking Princess, Daryl reminded himself, yet again. Princesses marry Princes and rule kingdoms. They don't run away and fall in love with bandits and live happily ever after. But she had run away… with a bandit… Daryl shook the thought out of his mind. He would protect her until he could return her home. That was it.

"Okay, I'm dressed," he announced. Carol rolled back over. "Sleep," Daryl said gently. "I'll make sure you don't miss dinner." She gave him a sleep smile and closed her eyes. Fuck, she's beautiful, he thought, fighting the urge to kiss her forehead before he left. With one last look, he turned and walked out of the room to find Tyreese.

He found Tyreese with Bob, Michonne and Glenn. "What's up?" he asked, grabbing an apple from a bowl on the table and taking a bite.

"There's big news… everyone's talking about it," Glenn said. "Princess Carol is missing. They're saying she's been kidnapped…" he paused and looked at Daryl. "By the bandit that escaped the dungeon…"

Daryl felt sick to his stomach. "Fuck," he muttered, starting to pace.

"They're offering a lot of gold for her safe return. No questions asked," Tyreese added.

"Fuck," Daryl said again. Why hadn't he thought about the fact they would blame him for her disappearance? Sir Rick knew the truth. Carol's friends knew the truth. But none of them could admit it. Who would suspect a princess would run away all on her own? Of course they would blame him.

"Daryl, it's her isn't it? Sophia? That's not her real name is it?" Michonne asked. "You brought the Princess here, didn't you?"

Daryl sunk into the nearest chair and nodded. "She helped me escape," he said with a sigh. "But the deal was… I had to bring her with me."

"Why'd you lie? To us?" Bob asked. The four of them were looking at him and they all looked hurt.

"She wanted the chance to fit in before you guys found out the truth," Daryl admitted. "She doesn't want to be treated like a princess, she just wants to be one of us."

"That won't be a problem for many of us, you know that," Michonne replied.

Daryl drummed his fingers on the table. "Yeah, I know. But there are some that are going to overreact and treat her like she's different."

"So what's the plan?" Glenn asked, after a few minutes of silence.

"We keep it between us for now," Daryl said. "Let me talk to her and decide what we're going to do."

"You know some are going to suggest we take her back, right?" Bob pipped up. "That's a lot of money, that could help a lot of people…"

"Are you suggesting that?" Daryl snapped, standing up and taking a step towards Bob.

"Woah, woah, of course not," he said, holding up his hands. "I'm just preparing you for it, in case the others find out."

"They won't find out," Daryl said in a warning tone. The group nodded.

"Hey, uh, I assume the story about the horses was all a lie?" Glenn asked. Daryl nodded. "Can we take 'em to Hershel's farm? Might be best to keep the saddles hidden here… in case anyone from the castle searches the farm…"

Daryl smirked, "And I suppose you want to be the one to deliver the goods, huh?" Glenn blushed slightly. "See that girl Maggie you fancy?"

The entire group started to tease Glenn. They all knew he had fallen in love with Hershel's oldest daughter. "Hey Daryl," Glenn said, before walking away. "I don't think your entire story was a lie. That kiss…" Glenn took off before he could respond with words or his fists.

Bob and Tyreese slinked off, laughing, but Michonne hung back. "Ya know, even if this hadn't happened… I didn't buy your story. I might be a bit more perceptive than most, but there are things that just glare that need to be fixed if you want to keep your secret for now."

"Like what?" Daryl asked curiously.

"She cut her hair and that's a good start. But those shoes have to go. They likely cost more than our entire stable of horses," Michonne said. "The dress… the cape… they might be plain, but they definitely don't scream farm girl from a poor peasant family."

"I get it," Daryl said, chewing his lip. "Will you help her?" he asked. "Later on, after I tell her what's going on… Can you talk to her, maybe help find some things for her to wear?"

Michonne gave him a big smile. "Sure. I'd be happy to help." She reached out and touched his arm. "Don't look so scared. We've got this. Everything will be fine."

"Can you do me one more favour?" Daryl asked. "Can you fill in Abraham, Sasha… the people who need to know. Make sure they realize it's top secret." Michonne nodded and left.

Daryl walked slowly back towards his room. He wasn't the least bit concerned for his own safety, but he was concerned for hers and his group. If the kingdom was being led to believe he'd kidnapped the Princess they would all be on high alert for his men. It could get bad, with such a huge reward at stake. Even those they were trying to help could turn on them if they got greedy. He entered the room quietly. Carol was still in the same position he'd left her a few minutes ago, but the blanket had slipped off her and her dress was pushed up exposing one leg up to her thigh.

Daryl shivered with desire, feeling a ripple of heat move through his body. God how he wanted to run his hand up that leg and feel her smooth skin on his finger tips. He moved his eyes to her face and looked at the lips he longed to kiss again. His heart was pounding so hard he could hear thudding in his ears. Cover her up, he told himself. Daryl took a couple steps closer and bent down to pick up the blanket, continuing to stare at her.

He tried to ignore the disappointment he felt as he started to cover her from the bottom up. Daryl was bent over pulling the blanket up to her shoulders when Carol's eyes blinked open. So blue. Like sapphires. Like the ocean. Like the sky on a bright sunny day. He couldn't look away. Even when he felt her hand on his chest, her fingers grabbing his shirt, Carol pulling him closer… he just couldn't look away. Daryl suddenly wondered if she was actually a sorceress that had casted some sort of spell on him? But when her warm, smooth lips landed on his Daryl didn't care. He knew in that moment why the Sirens in the Lake of Mystery, deep in the woods killed so many men. How do you say no to someone so beautiful? How do you escape from lips like hers?

Daryl knew he should stop, but it was impossible. He kissed her back and let Carol draw him into bed with her. He pulled her into his arms, felt her breasts pressing into his chest, felt his own body responding instantly, but still he couldn't stop. There was so much going on in his mind, but the only thing he knew for sure was that he'd completely lost his heart. It was gone and it now belonged solely to her - his Princess.


End file.
